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CALIFORNIA CATTLE RANCH, OWNER AND FOREMAN INDICTED
Release Date: 03/30/2001
Contact Information:
FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2001
CALIFORNIA CATTLE RANCH, OWNER AND FOREMAN INDICTED
Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818/hester.luke@epa.gov
Masami Cattle Ranch (MCR) of Tehema County, Calif., Masami Ishida, the ranch’s owner, and Manuel Madera Noriega, the ranch’s foreman, were each indicted on March 22 on charges of conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act (CWA) and eleven additional counts of violating the CWA. MCR has operated a beef cattle ranch since 1989 in Corning, Calif., which generally maintains approximately 5,000-8,000 head of cattle. The beef is primarily exported to Japan. The defendants are charged with allegedly discharging, without proper permits, cattle waste and dumping dead cattle carcasses into Elder and Willow Creeks, and their tributaries which run across the ranch. These creeks feed into the Sacramento River. The discharge of manure and dumping of dead animals into surface waters creates a risk of spreading bacteria and other pathogens which can harm aquatic life and animals that use the waters and can make the waters unsafe for recreational and drinking water purposes. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento. An indictment is merely an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless or until convicted in a court of law.
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